This Valentine’s Day, Sabrina Carpenter treated her fans to a special gift — the release of her deluxe album “Short n’ Sweet.”
Carpenter announced the news as a heartfelt “thank you” for her success at the Grammys just weeks ago, where she won best pop solo performance for “Espresso” and best vocal pop album for “Short n’ Sweet.”
The expanded album features four new bonus tracks and a collaboration with country icon Dolly Parton. Carpenter shared pictures of the album cover along with the track list on Instagram.
“Short n’ sweet deluxe is now available for pre order,” she wrote. “And yes that does say featuring Miss Dolly Parton… she wouldn’t want me to swear but holy shitt!!!!!”
As a long-time fan of Carpenter, I was most excited to listen to the song “Please, Please, Please” with Parton — I expected to love it no matter what…but unfortunately, that was not the case.
Parton’s vocals reflect her years on Carpenter, and it sounds like she’s struggling to keep up with the beat of one of the faster songs on the album.
A better choice for the collaboration could have been “Slim Pickins,” which emphasizes Carpenter’s subtle country twang that Parton could have complemented.
But in a way, it sounded cute, almost like a grandmother and granddaughter telling stories to each other.
Although I didn’t love the song, the music video for “Please, Please, Please” makes up for it. It continues the story told in the original music video, which starred Carpenter’s then-boyfriend actor Barry Keoghan as her criminal lover.
But this time, it’s Carpenter running from the law with Parton right by her side.
With nods to “Thelma & Louise,” the two are a pair on the run. The black and white color scheme gives the video a western feel and captures the essence of a woman scorned with an axe to grind.
Near the end, a body is seen in the bed of the pickup truck: a man tied up in the same outfit Keoghan wore in the original “Please, Please, Please” video.
Following Parton’s role in this deluxe edition, the other four songs did not disappoint.
The lead track, “15 Minutes,” immediately sets the mood with a shimmering disco-pop beat. It’s light-hearted but carries a slight edge with double meanings.
Carpenter sings, “But I can do a lot with fifteen minutes/ Lot of pretty boys, a lot of funny business/ Take a couple bucks, turn em’ into millions.”
Not only does the deluxe edition add a little under 15 minutes to the original album, but this song talks about her 15 minutes of fame for everyone who says she won’t last in the industry.
So she really can “do a lot with 15 minutes.”
Next on the list is my personal favorite; “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder.” It’s more vocal-heavy that makes you want to cry and scream the lyrics at the same time — a true punch in the gut.
Fans have compared it to “Grease’s” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” sharing a similar heartbreaking melody.
Carpenter beats herself up on this track, singing about how she wishes she could be better for someone, but she “couldn’t make it any harder to love me.”
As the song ends, we are brought back to the playful pop and flirty jabs with “Busy Woman,” one of the earlier releases, which dropped on Aug. 29 as a bonus to the original album.
This one captures Carpenter’s wit and sass. The back-and-forth lyrics are the perfect example of what it’s like to be with an indecisive person. Fed up, she says that if anyone doesn’t want her, it’s their problem with the iconic verse, “If you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay.”
The 80s feel explores themes of independence and setting boundaries in relationships. She’s a busy woman and has other things to do, she doesn’t have time to worry about a man.
Wrapping up this Valentine’s gift, the last track featured on her expanded album is “Bad Reviews.”
Most of “Short n’ Sweet” portrays Carpenter as above it all, untouchable to the men and boys who cause problems in her life. But this song pulls back the curtain on toxic relationships and how she deals with them.
She sings about all the undesirable traits of a partner and the red flags she chooses to ignore.
Carpenter shows a more vulnerable side but still holds her head high, refusing to “lose another boy that’s not even my boyfriend.”
It’s a perfect ending to the deluxe, digging deeper into her self-worth.
These tracks fit perfectly into her album and continue to uphold her reputation as a growing star in the industry. From her vocals, creativity and charismatic charm, she gives fans what they want as her songs work their way to the top of the charts.